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mucholderthen:

MISATTRIBUTED INVENTIONS
and their Actual Inventors

The Telescope - Hans Lippershey
Minimal infographic poster by Hydrogene  

Hans Lippershey …      Galileo Galilei …

Galileo’s work and thinking are surely at the heart of the modern scientific paradigm, although they are not innovations on his part.  For example,  he wasn’t the first in his time to emphasize observation over ancient texts.  However, he did clearly demonstrate the way in which a scientist could combine mathematics (and theoretical physics) with experimental physics.  In particular, he was willing to follow the trail left by his observations to reach conclusions that contradicted the received wisdom of his day (that is, the current paradigm).

The history of the telescope symbolizes Galileo’s role in the history of science.  He came to know of this new invention in the same way and at the same time as other scientists in Europe (and Asia).  His innovation was to improve the telescope, using feedback from his own use of it in astronomical observation.  He showed quite clearly how experimentation can be used to improve not only ones understanding but also the techniques (and tools) used to gain and improve that understanding.

(via avarenity)

holymoleculesbatman:

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), painted by Justus Sustermans

Galileo!

(via project-argus)

spacewatching:

This picture of the Earth and Moon in a single frame was taken by the Galileo spacecraft from about 3.9 million miles away.

Antarctica is visible through clouds (bottom). The Moon’s far side is seen; the shadowy indentation in the dawn terminator is the south pole Aitken Basin, one of the largest and oldest lunar impact features.

Awesome.

(via lightthiscandle)

expose-the-light:

Galileo moon phases

Galileo’s sketches and observations of the Moon revealed that the surface was mountainous.

Looking at these totally divorced from their historical significance, I would like to point out that they are very well-done sketches.

(via project-argus)

asonlynasacan

Apollo 15- Proving Galileo right on the moon.

the-star-stuff:

Rock Star Cosmic Pioneers By MeganLee

These awesome prints are available at her shop, meganlee.etsy.com. Check out her blog too, Megan Lee.

These are great!

(via project-argus)

themightygeeksaurus:

402 years ago on this day, Galileo discovered Io, Callisto, and Europa. Three of Jupiter’s moons.

The Galilean Moons.

(via project-argus)

blood-meridian:

∆∆˚ by Edgar Caswell (BadAcidCollage/Turbobabes.com) on Flickr.

I like this a lot.

(via itsfullofstars)

itsfullofstars:

Galileo Spacecraft: Antenna Failure

Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. Named after the astronomer and Renaissance pioneer Galileo Galilei, it was launched on October 18, 1989 by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission. It arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995, a little more than six years later, via gravitational assist flybys of Venus and Earth.

For reasons which in all likelihood will never be known with certainty, Galileo’s high-gain antenna failed to fully deploy after its first flyby of Earth. Investigators speculate that during the time that Galileo spent in storage after the 1986 Challenger disaster, its lubricants evaporated, damaging the system. Engineers tried thermal-cycling the antenna, rotating the spacecraft up to its maximum spin rate of 10.5 rpm, and “hammering” the antenna deployment motors—turning them on and off repeatedly—over 13,000 times; all attempts failed to open the high-gain antenna. The reduction in available bandwidth reduced the total amount of data transmitted throughout the mission, although 70% of Galileo’s science goals could still be met.

Images above are artist’s concept of Galileo at Jupiter with its high-gain antenna only partially deployed versus fully deployed.

It’s odd, I don’t remember Galileo at all, even though I was alive at the time and I remember lots of other 90s space probes.

(via shuttleisland)

itsfullofstars:

Today 402 years ago (August 25, 1609) Galileo Galilei introduce his telescope to the Venetian Lawmakers. While Galileo did not invent the telescope, his was the first to be used for astronomy. In fact, less than 5 months after he introduced the telescope, he discovered three moons traveling around Jupiter and just a few days later he discovered the fourth one. 

His observations of the satellites of Jupiter created a revolution in astronomy that reverberates to this day: a planet with smaller planets orbiting it did not conform to the principles of Aristotelian Cosmology, which held that all heavenly bodies should circle the Earth, and many astronomers and philosophers initially refused to believe that Galileo could have discovered such a thing. 

Fast forward to February 11, 2010; NASA Solar Dynamics was launched into Space - the most sophisticated solar observatory ever built. We have come long ways and today we should remember and thank Galileo for looking to the stars!

Source: NASA SDO.

Here’s to Galileo.